


Our Venusian Time

by XtaticPearl



Series: Tumblr prompt works [13]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Afterlife, Established Relationship, M/M, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 05:55:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19078843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XtaticPearl/pseuds/XtaticPearl
Summary: There's a galaxy out there, decked out sky above him, but Tony's got his own world right beside him.





	Our Venusian Time

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: things you said under the stars and in the grass

 

There should have been a beach, Tony thought idly as his toes rustled tufts of green beneath him. He likes pebbles, smooth and misshapen and warm in the palm.

Sand, not so much. But still. A beach would be nice sometime.

His head shifted under the bunched up shirt, eyes roving over the dark horizon before ticking left. The view was better down here, he’d say on another day. Or maybe a line about a comet and his tail. It would even work, practically anything would nowadays, but - it wasn’t really a night for many words.

They’d have more of these and then maybe he’d pull a line out.

His object of attention straightened from the hunched up gathering of scribbled notes soaking up dew from the cooling air. There was a curve of release as the posture bent in tension and regrouped, making Tony’s lips curve in their own calm.

Any moment now he would find the attention he was giving and it would blind him less than it had the first time. A little less starstruck. A little fixed starcross. A lot more stark truth.

In the shadows playing between the galaxy’s oversight Steve turned, just a little and just enough to meet Tony’s smile. If he came closer, Tony would see the flecks of green in blue warmth. From where he lay, he saw his reflection and Steve returned his smile with an easier break of his own.

“Slacking off on me tonight?” Steve rested his chin on his own shoulder, body half turned towards his right and Tony caught the fall of a blond lock brushing his forehead. The grass was soothing under his feet and Tony pulled up his knees to rest his soles firmer against the ground. It was nice, comfort both under him and directed at him from a gaze of old familiarity.

“I’m putting in the maximum effort required for a forced participation,” Tony lifted a hand and drew the outline of Steve’s shape in the air, “It’s not my fault if you’re dragging me off to astronomical orgies for entertainment, Steven.”

“We have a system and you have your chance later,” Steve leaned back and balanced his weight on his forearms and elbows as he eyed Tony in amusement, “Also, this is your maximum effort? Venus would be disappointed.”

“I’m more of a mercurial person,” Tony nodded before glancing up at the universe blinking down on them, “I’m fascinated by your refusal to address the orgies part.”

“I’ve learned things,” Steve hummed under his breath as he went back to gazing at his chosen sight of the night, “Besides, we’re fulfilling one requirement for that.”

“You picked the activity, I simply made it better,” Tony quipped without looking over because he knew the grin that would steal over Steve’s face. It was a good look and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be tempted right now. Naked stargazing was surprisingly fun without more physical activity involved. Well, that could come later.

“You found her yet?” Tony joined invisible lines between glimmering celestials and heard the soft crackle of grass finding human print over them. He could feel Steve’s warmth closer now and it shouldn’t matter much in the cosmic sense of the moment but it did. It always did when they came closer.

“Venus?”

“We looking for someone else tonight, honey?” Tony tilted his head to catch Steve’s eyes turning back above and it was interesting how he could always find constellations over that visage. Not recorded or studied under telescopes but important in their own way. Tony’s navigated stories mapped out over life-worne flesh.

“I don’t know,” Steve commented softly, too clear to be lost in a breeze but no louder than for a pillow’s audience, “I like surprises.”

“Bit tough to recognize in time,” Tony drew his finger in circles over his chest, tilting his head up a bit to catch the breeze on his brows, “What if you miss it when it’s there and later realize that it was a good one?”

There was a beat where silence didn’t demand answers because Tony had time to give, for thoughts and tomorrows. It hadn’t always been a promise and wasn’t won easy for them. Through all the late and early years of conversations they had lived, this beat was earned in tokens. It was good. It was theirs.

“I like the ones I’ve got,” Steve said, a funny musing note in his tone that Tony associated to the memories of before, of life. It had grown fonder over time, less hesitant and regretful as they had adapted.

_Afterlife isn’t what we planned_ , Tony remembered observing one noon a few moons ago as they had walked around Mauna Kea because they - well, they could. Imagination was a funny thing when you were souls with infinite time.

“Yeah,” Tony exhaled, a muscle memory from a space when oxygen had been valuable. His hand brushed against Steve’s and there was no clarity of Venus’ arrival but this was enough. It was enough of love to pay her tribute and enough of understanding to let her reveal herself at her own pace.

“Yeah, me too,” Tony agreed and welcome fingers interlocked into his orbit like always.


End file.
